Mystery Gadget 20

Taking into account the presence of a wired-up conch shell, please explain what this gadget from the 1920s does.

Answer after the jump.

[Click to enlarge]

From Radio World for 1922, PDF found here.

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Posted By: Paul - Sun Mar 16, 2014
Category: Technology | 1920s

Comments

I thought it was Capt. Nemo's SONAR rig. :lol: :coolsmile:

Posted by Tyrusguy on 03/16/14 at 08:41 AM

I was right about it having something to do with sound but that was as far as I got.

Who knew seashells were the bane of Beelzebub.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 03/16/14 at 10:49 AM

Reverend Odenbach, the jazz hater. I wonder how many conch shells he would think today's music requires.

Posted by Robb of Warren on 03/16/14 at 12:33 PM

So a guy that hates jazz, finds a way to distort it to sound awful, then claims jazz sucks... Does that about cover it?

Posted by Captain DaFt on 03/16/14 at 02:50 PM

This comment is before looking at the answer, I thought it was to amplify sound, to hear the ocean.

Now after, kind of right about amplification, but more a device to ruin the demon music those crazy kids were listening to back then. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 03/16/14 at 03:15 PM

I guessed a Rube Goldberg telephone.

Robb, I don't think he would think it would need any. Most of today's "music" is pretty dreadful already, without artificial help.

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 03/16/14 at 03:48 PM

An early version of TARDIS

Posted by Courtney on 03/16/14 at 08:02 PM

L.Ron Hubbard's original "E-Meter."

Posted by tadchem on 03/17/14 at 08:15 AM

Figured it was some kind of radio-thingy (that was the hot technology back then) but it seems like he thought jazz would out itself given sufficient fidelity.

Posted by Mr Evilwrench on 03/17/14 at 08:57 AM

Plainly he'd never heard jazz played live, or he wouldn't have bothered.

Posted by Richard Bos on 03/18/14 at 10:46 AM

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